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dameatball

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16. (late 50's-mid 60's) Walked or rode my bike to elem. school, about a mile. Then Jr. high, walked or

Fri May 3, 2019, 11:07 AM

May 2019

Last edited Fri May 3, 2019, 02:19 PM - Edit history (1)

rode my bike about 2-1/2 miles. After school got on my bike and went here and there. But honestly, I would be nervous about my grandkids doing that now. Not that there is an epidemic of kidnappings or whatever. I think it is more like when I was a child I was fearless for myself and enjoyed the freedom, but as a grandparent I just can't muster that same confidence for my grandkids. Not sure why. Anyway, I have no say in the matter any more. Their parents or a neighbor drive them. By way, in our school system, way back when, I am pretty sure there was a 2 mile distance rule before you could ride the bus. One of my best friend's mom drove bus 262.... I still remember that.
When we had storms my dad would drive me. I used to get him to drop me off as far away from the entrance as possible. In my adolescent wisdom I thought riding the bus or with your parents was just uncool. I was not very smart.

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I picked up my grandsons (7 and 8) at school again today. [View all] LAS14 May 2019 OP

Is that a school policy? rownesheck May 2019 #1

I agree!! wcast May 2019 #2

I have two words for this: TruckFump May 2019 #9

For many people shanti May 2019 #3

Do you have any evidence that there are more incidents involving.... LAS14 May 2019 #4

Not really shanti May 2019 #13

I'm not comfortable with it either. ooky May 2019 #47

And in the here and now, what are those numbers? LanternWaste May 2019 #23

However Newton, MA is a very upscale, suburban city and I am sure they have smirkymonkey May 2019 #25

The Polly Klaas Foundation has numbers on their website. Mariana May 2019 #27

Where I'm at xmas74 May 2019 #38

There are positives more than physical health lostnfound May 2019 #18

I was a free range kid marlakay May 2019 #24

We moved a lot when I was a kid, in the 50's. dixiegrrrrl May 2019 #29

Ha. Ironically something once called a communist DID blow us up... lostnfound May 2019 #49

Yeah, my memories of walking home are some of my most vivid and satisfying. nt LAS14 May 2019 #30

It is much safer than it was before. There is more sensational coverage grantcart May 2019 #39

IIRC, we had to walk to school if we lived closer than a certain distance The Velveteen Ocelot May 2019 #5

That was my situation, exactly nocoincidences May 2019 #17

We walked tp all of them - elementary, jr. high and high treestar May 2019 #58

Yes, I recall herds of kids walking to school in those days, The Velveteen Ocelot May 2019 #59

The 24-hour news cycle has made parents afraid to do that. MineralMan May 2019 #6

I agree but it isn't as safe as it used to be when we all were kids. redstatebluegirl May 2019 #7

I don't think it's less safe now. There were trucks in the '50s and people got run over by them. The Velveteen Ocelot May 2019 #11

I remember being taught to look both ways before crossing MineralMan May 2019 #12

I think kids playing in neighborhoods goes back to when we moved from the front porch to the back redstatebluegirl May 2019 #15

Memory is cumulative. We don't think in rates per 100,000.. X_Digger May 2019 #42

It doesn't help at all Mariana May 2019 #46

I agree with you. llmart May 2019 #8

Is this a school issue, or a parent issue? Because plenty of kids walk to school. WhiskeyGrinder May 2019 #10

It's a parent issue, no doubt. MineralMan May 2019 #14

(late 50's-mid 60's) Walked or rode my bike to elem. school, about a mile. Then Jr. high, walked or dameatball May 2019 #16

Crazy to me. lark May 2019 #19

Two or three blocks? PoindexterOglethorpe May 2019 #20

I do it only because my son is of the belief that it's a school requirement. It certainly... LAS14 May 2019 #31

Double check with the school. PoindexterOglethorpe May 2019 #33

I used to walk my oldest grandson to kindergarten when I could. ismnotwasm May 2019 #21

We live a couple miles from the school complex in our township Ohiogal May 2019 #22

Big controversy locally about that Freddie May 2019 #26

A couple of miles, no matter how good the sidewalks, PoindexterOglethorpe May 2019 #34

1. Walk to the school. 2. Pick up your grandsons at school. 3. Walk home with them. NBachers May 2019 #28

This message was self-deleted by its author LAS14 May 2019 #32

Exercise isn't the only benefit of walking to and from school. Being... LAS14 May 2019 #45

As a child in Utica, NY, in the 1950s PoindexterOglethorpe May 2019 #35

why don't you walk over there and walk back with them? maxsolomon May 2019 #36

Thread win! madinmaryland May 2019 #41

Today I was focusing on exercise, but there are a host of other reasons... LAS14 May 2019 #44

I live in a safe community, and skeezers will try to pull up to elementary school kids often. TheBlackAdder May 2019 #37

It only takes a few high profile cases TexasBushwhacker May 2019 #40

When my daughter was young (she's 20 now) she was allowed to ride her bike all Luciferous May 2019 #43

"Land of the Free, and Home of the Brave." Captain Stern May 2019 #48

I don't have kids ellie May 2019 #50

I let my 9 year old walk but EllieBC May 2019 #51

I'm a little confused... Polybius May 2019 #52

I walked to elementary school in the 80's happybird May 2019 #53

My mother was crazy overprotective, but.. luvs2sing May 2019 #54

Ego-centrism applies in many areas to those afflicted with it. In a country where most Christians TeamPooka May 2019 #55

I live in a small town that's a underthematrix May 2019 #56

Do your grandsons have a grandparent who can WALK them home? JustABozoOnThisBus May 2019 #57

We live 45 minutes away and pick them up only every couple of months, but, LAS14 May 2019 #61

Besides not walking with them, check out to see if there are local pedos in the police database. TheBlackAdder May 2019 #60

You haven't responded, which one is it? Polybius May 2019 #62

Not allowed to walk without an adult. But, if you're going... LAS14 May 2019 #63